Ancient Writings

A massive 2,700-year-old standing stone discovered in a large Iron Age mansion in the Judean Lowlands may provide compelling new evidence for the sweeping religious reforms carried out by the biblical King Hezekiah. Found carefully laid on its side and incorporated into a platform within a domestic setting at Tel 'Eton, the discovery offers a rare glimpse into how the centralization of worship affected everyday life in the ancient Kingdom of Judah. The finding suggests that religious changes extended far beyond official temples and public spaces, deeply impacting domestic religious practices. According to a new study by Professor Avraham Faust of Bar-Ilan University, published in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology, the 1.4-meter (4.6-foot) tall stone, weighing approximately 750 kilograms (1,650